1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing paper winding device, and more particularly to a printing paper winding device that is independent of a printer that prints on printing paper that is wound by the winding device. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for controlling tension on the web of paper being wound. The apparatus includes a tension roll that applies a controllable tension during winding of the continuous web.
Further, the winding device is useful for continuously winding a continuous web of paper carrying a strip of labels evenly spaced apart on a continuous base comprised of the paper web. Each such label may be an RFID label, having a middle-layer which includes an RFID circuit, which is encapsulated. More particularly, the apparatus for winding the continuous web affects flexure stress.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some conventional printing paper winding devices are configured as external devices separate from a printer. Such devices are installed in front of the paper discharge opening of a printer and successively wind up a continuous band or web of paper or printing paper. That band includes a base paper layer carrying printed labels and from which the printed labels are to be peeled off. The paper or labels thereon are printed by the printer and then discharged from the printer. After the labels are printed, the base layer with the labels thereon is wound on a spindle. The spindle is later placed in a label applying apparatus, where the labels are separated from the continuous base and applied to items to be labeled.
Such a printing paper winding device comprises a winding shaft for winding up the continuous, band-like printing paper on which printing has been performed by a printer, a drive unit (for example, a drive motor) for rotary driving of the winding shaft, and a tension roller at the winding device that comes into contact with the printing paper upstream in the path of the printing paper from the winding shaft.
The tension roller reciprocates on the winding device through a predetermined tension region of the paper, while maintaining contact with the printing paper, as the printing paper is printed upon, discharged from the printing device, and wound up on the winding shaft or on a reel or a take up spindle on the winding shaft. The tension roller can apply tension to the printing paper so as to absorb the slack of the printing paper, and can thereby stabilize the winding force on the winding shaft. By reciprocally moving through the tension region, the tension roller can eliminate the flexure of the continuous paper web by providing tension to the continuous web, enabling a winding effort to be maintained on the winding shaft or the take up spindle. The tension roll is provided on the winding apparatus. The tension roll reciprocation range is usually predetermined, such that the tension roll can be moved between an upper and a lower portion of the range, so that the continuous web can be reeled up while the tension roll provides a selectable tension to the continuous web.
In such a printing paper winding device, the leading end of the band-like printing paper discharged from a printer is usually fixed to the winding shaft, the tension roller is set to a state where it can contact the printing paper, and then the drive unit is started to begin winding the printing paper.
However, because the tension roller reciprocates along a predetermined reciprocating path as the printing paper is being wound up, the driver unit has to be ON/OFF controlled, the winding speed is constant, and the winding path of the printing paper follows a zigzag shape. The resulting problem is that bending stresses or bending pressure accompanies the winding operation.
This may limit the base material of the printing paper to one that can withstand the winding tension caused by a large bending stress applied in the zone of the reciprocation path where the winding path of the paper bends at an acute angle. This has caused problems in that the printing paper may rupture or the labels attached to the base paper may prematurely peel off, instead of the printing paper with the intact labels thereon being wound onto the winding spindle.
Furthermore, when the printing paper support labels (RFID labels) that have IC chips placed thereon in which data can be read and written remotely, if the winding path of the printing paper is bent at a very acute angle, disconnection of the RFID label from the continuous paper or fracture of the IC chip can occur, when the tension roller is shifted along a movement or reciprocation range. There, the continuous web may be bent at a considerable angle by the so located tension roller.
The considerable angle applies bending stress to the continuous web. If the continuous web has an RFID inlay, the RFID inlay may include a single IC chip and an antenna, which is included in a label or tag on the continuous base. Such a RFID tag or label has a disadvantage in that the antenna may be bent or its junction connecting the IC chip to the antenna part may be broken in the bending of the web or of the paper web at a sharp or acute angle.
Furthermore, an adhesive agent applies the label on the continuous base paper layer at even intervals. When it is a usual, soft adhesive agent, the labels separate from the continuous web when there is a considerable angle on the continuous label web, particularly a bend caused by the tension roller.
Furthermore, the above-described type of printing paper winding device is often controlled integrally or together with the printer for the labels by a printer control unit. Then driving the winding device requires using special printers. Therefore, such a winding device does not function to appropriately wind up the printing paper printed by and discharged from any printer, and the device lacks versatility for forming combinations with printers.